Saving Downloads With Windows 7

Hi Everyone - I kinda got away from scrapbooking but recently purchased a new computer with Windows 7. I was looking at some old layouts and really want to start again. Just bought PSE10 for the new computer and have been reading about Picasa, which I will also be downloading for my supplies. My problem is I am not quite sure how to save the downloads with Win7. I tried to make a new "Library" called Scrapbooking which I did. But it will not let me create folders in Scrapbooking. Should I be making a "Scrapbooking" folder in My Documents and saving downloads in there? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Laura

I use Windows 7 and save all my scrapbook files in My Documents. Having all the files there also makes it easier to back them up. Under My Documents, I have a Scrapbooking file, then within Scapbooking, I have bunches of sub-folders, for example "backgrounds", "embellishments", "2012 layouts for Scrapgirls" and many more. HTH!

Windows 7 has a kind of "parallel" structure that is a little confusing at first. I create my major Scrapbooking folders in My Documents as usual. They are: 1_SG_Materials, 1_SG_Collections, 1_SG_ScrapSimple, and 2_QuickPages. (The numbers make them fall to the top of the list.)

In the Library, add those four (or the appropriate number for your system) folders to it. Then all of your supplies are rapidly reachable without the clutter of all the other My Documents folders. The files are still in My Docs, but the Library is a rapid "Virtual address."

I actually download first to a "Scrap Downloads" folder on the desktop. It has shortcuts to the My Docs folders listed above in it. The desktop folder reminds me to check to unzip, and then after opening files and organizing the contents to suit me, I can drag them straight to the shortcuts, which moves the files to the appropriate place. I also have a 0_Downloads folder inside Scrap Downloads. The Zip files go there after unzipping, until I KNOW I've backed things up. Then I delete those. The shortcuts are also a handy way to navigate to my scrapbooking supplies; just double-click the Scrap Downloads folder on the left edge of the desktop, then double-click the shortcut.

Here's a screenshot of what I'm describing.DownloadFolder.JPG64.33KB20 downloads
To make a shortcut, right-click and select New, Shortcut. Browse to the desired target location and click next. Name the shortcut differently or use the default.

Barbara, your explanation of the Library in win 7 is the first time I've understood how to use it. I've tried before but it never worked. I also like to download to a folder on the desktop, but using the shortcuts makes sense. If I don't have something on the desktop, it takes me too long to get to my files.

I'd also like to pick your brain sometime about what to get when I buy a desktop, re memory, hardrives, etc. FAST PC's!